MANILA — President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has directed the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) to board and inspect all dredgers operating in Manila Bay reclamation projects to verify vessel registration and Automatic Identification System (AIS) transmissions, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said.

The order comes after maritime security analyst Ray Powell, director of SeaLight, reported that a Chinese-origin dredger, Kang Ling 539, has broadcast at least 30 different vessel identities while moving between Manila Bay and a dredging site in Zambales over more than two years. The dredger has reportedly operated under six different flags, including the Philippines, China, Sierra Leone, São Tomé and Príncipe, and Panama.

Powell’s analysis found that the vessel switches identities depending on location — dropping its Philippine registration while dredging at the Santo Tomas River mouth in Zambales and resuming it upon returning to Manila Bay.

Under Philippine law, dredgers transporting sand between domestic points must be at least 60% Filipino-owned, Philippine-flagged and registered, and crewed by Filipinos. Foreign-owned or foreign-flagged dredgers are prohibited from performing routine operations unless reflagged under qualified domestic ownership.

The President’s directive is a follow-up to his May 2025 order for a nationwide probe of dredging and reclamation activities, prompted by environmental concerns and reports that Philippine sand may have been diverted to Chinese reclamation projects.

The PCG will now inspect all vessels involved in Manila Bay reclamation to ensure compliance with maritime regulations and Philippine laws.